100 Year gala celebrates South Asian pioneers and navigators

The 100 Year Journey annual gala on Saturday, October 3, 2015, celebrated past, present, and future South Asian trailblazers.
The evening built upon last year’s historical reflections program. Awards were presented to eight individuals who have opened doors and broken new ground as ‘Pioneers’ and ‘Navigators’ and to one individual who has made an outstanding contribution to the South Asian community as an ‘Ambassador’.
“One hundred years ago, none of our South Asian pioneers would have regarded themselves as pioneers. So our Navigator and Ambassador awards are recognizing people in our community who are charting new territories and breaking new ground,” said Rana Vig, co-founder of the 100 Year Journey Project and former publisher of Mehfil Magazine.
These are the people who will be honoured and recognized for the contributions to society in the decades to come.” 
Among those recognized were Moe Sihota, the first Indo-Canadian elected to the Legislative Assembly, David Sidoo, the first Indo-Canadian in the Canadian Football League, Janki Shori, who first brought Indian film to BC in 1949, and Dr. Gagan S. Wig, whose research is breaking new ground in cognitive neuroscience.
The sold out gala at the Fairmont Pacific Rim was attended by 500 South Asian and community leaders. Special guests included Honourable Minister of National Defence, Jason Kenney, and Members of Legislative Assembly Ministers Michael de Jong, Suzanne Anton, Peter Fassbender, Stephanie Cadieux and Amrik Virk.
CBC anchor newsman Andrew Chang emceed the evening. 
The 100 Year Journey Project launched in 2014 with the creation of a book chronicling the stories of some of the first 100 South Asians in Canada over the past century.
The narratives describe how some provided shelter and support for new immigrants, fought tirelessly for the voting rights of all communities, and spent years away from their loved ones as they built a foundation for their new lives.
A digital edition of the 100 Year Journey for iPad and iPhone, Android, and Kindle devices can be downloaded from www.100yearjourney.com.
A second edition of the book is currently in production and in the coming months, 100 Year Journey will continue to expand its educational outreach and culminate in the development of a digital archival system.

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